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Staff photo/By Harvey White These six members of the Nansemond-Suffolk Rescue Squad, EMT Kevin King; EMT Joyce Brown,, President and Cardiac Technician Melvin Smith; EMT Susan Hundley; EMT Chief Rusty Hundley; and EMT Gwen McCully, are part of the team of volunteers who took top honors from squads across Virginia and Maryland. |
Rescue squad gets top awards
By Barbara Lee Allen, Suffolk News-Herald
July 10, 2003
The members of the Nansemond-Suffolk Rescue Squad recently made a clean sweep in awards during the “52nd Annual Potomac River Festival,” bringing to the fore one of the top medical response teams in Hampton Roads.
Rusty Hundley, the Emergency Medical Services chief for the squad, said the agency joined others from across Virginia and Maryland as they took part in the event.
“It was sponsored by the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department,” said Hundley. “It was an event to showcase fire and rescue vehicles and equipment during a special parade in which it was all on display.”
He said that after the parade each of the rescue squads and fire departments were judged on appearance, knowledge, and equipment. At the end of the contest, Hundley and Emergency Medical Technicians Joyce Brown, Kevin King, Susan Hundley, Gwen McCully, and Lieutenant Chris Smith, and the Squad President Melvin Smith returned to their home base on Market Street with five awards.
The squad won first place for “Best Appearing Rescue Squad in Virginia,” and first place for “Best Appearing Rescue Squad Overall.” They also brought home a first place trophy for “Best Appearing Specialty Unit,” and another first place trophy for “Rescue Squad Traveling the Longest Distance.” They didn’t fare quite as well with “Best Appearing Advance Life Support Ambulance,” only earning a second place trophy for that contest.
The Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad, a volunteer emergency medical services (EMS) team, is comprised of highly trained men and women responding around the clock to medical emergencies and rescues in the community.
“We’re there with the latest training and technology to treat and safely transport our patients,” said Hundley. “We’re ordinary people, doing extraordinary things because we care!”
Along with Hundley, other officers include Gordon Worrell, deputy EMS Chief; Kelley Modlin, training officer; Dr. Arthur Chambers, medical director; Melvin Smith, president; Jeff Elmore, vice president; Lisa Snelgrove, secretary; and Barbara Rayburn, treasurer. Hundley, Smith, Worrell, and Rayburn are life members of the squad.
For more information or how to donate to the volunteer organization, call 539-6870. Donations can also be made safely, quickly and easily by credit card (Online). Also, each time you shop at Food Lion and use an MVP card, Food Lion will donate a portion of each purchase to the squad without cost to the customers. All that’s needed is registration of the MVP card on Food Lion’s website. For those who prefer, mail checks to the NSVRS, P.O. Box 1515, Suffolk, Va., 23439-1515.
Donors may also make contributions in person at the squad building at 428 Market St.
Copyright 2003 Suffolk News-Herald
